American scientists came to the conclusion that poplars are able to cope with the acute problem of environmental pollution in our time. So, it turned out that these trees, so unloved in Russia for their "importunate" fluff, perfectly absorb and break down the carcinogenic industrial solvent trichlorethylene widely used in many areas, including medicine and printing industry.

Laboratory studies, during which cuttings of poplars for a week were placed in a toxic chemical solution of trichlorethylene, gave an astonishing result: the level of trichlorethylene decreased by 90%. But experts did not stop there and triggered an artificial mutation of trees at the genetic level, achieving a 100% solution purification, turning it into a harmless biomass. The study also found that poplar trees with altered genetic structure are capable of destroying other environmental pollutants: chloroform, gasoline, vinyl chloride and carbon tetrachloride.

The next stage of the experiment, which requires coordination with the authorities, is scheduled for this summer. It was then that several hundreds of genetically modified poplars are planned to be planted in the contaminated soil at the site of the former oil storage facility in the town of Kokomo (Indiana). "This place represents an excellent opportunity to prove in practice that poplars are able to eliminate the effects of environmental pollution," said study participant Richard Meilan. The big plus of these representatives of the flora is also their rapid growth, which will allow three years to eliminate the trees that fulfilled their mission, without fear for possible consequences. According to Meilan, in five years the trees "have reached puberty", and what will their interaction with "normal" poplars lead to, it's hard to predict the sportzal. com.